Articles by Kalie Lowrie

The First Baptist Church of Valley Mills sits atop a hill in a community of around 1,200 residents.

Advent is upon us. Candles burn in Sunday services, Christmas tree lights twinkle, and even a chilly breeze settles in my corner of Texas. Advent is a time set aside to remember and expect our King as He enters into human suffering. The season exemplifies joy and waiting as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. And yet, the excitement of Advent seems like a stark contrast in light of so much pain and darkness in our present society. Everything in our culture seems to breathe a wearied and weathered sigh. The news continues to portray stories of suffering and conflict, such as sexual harassments, shootings, and uncertainty for DACA recipients and refugees. We mourn the pain of the world and in the same breath we rejoice for the hope the Lord gives. During these few weeks leading up to Christmas, Christians have the opportunity to understand the magnitude of who our King is and worship Him with our whole hearts. He is the God who came into humanity and experienced suffering in order to bring freedom. Jesus is the ultimate bridge builder between God and humanity.

Charlottesville. Las Vegas. Hurricane Harvey. Hurricane Maria. Sutherland Springs. These are the national crises we have faced as a nation just in the last six months. Not to mention the personal crises that may be enveloping you, your ministry, and your family that no one sees. It feels like we are limping to the end of 2017. Yet, somehow in the midst of all these things, we will stop and give thanks on Thursday.

Love, peace, and hope embody the character of the holiday season for believers in Christ. It is a wonderful reminder to those who long to embody those same qualities in their personal character. 

As a former Texas Baptist Hunger Offering intern, I can swiftly list the statistics of how many people are malnourished worldwide, how many families in Texas are food insecure, and how many ministries the Hunger Offering helps fund.

His name is Pedro — the man on the picture.  I had the pleasure of meeting him outside an industrial refrigerator on a bright Tuesday morning in Cerdanyola, Spain. 

On Sept. 30, Congress allowed funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to expire throughout the United States. CHIP provides coverage to children and families who have too much income to qualify for Medicaid but not enough money to pay for health insurance.

Gov. Abbott called for a special session, which began July 18 and ended Aug. 15. The special session agenda covered 20 items that the Legislature neglected or ran out of time to pass during the 140-day regular session earlier this Spring. Click here for a list of special session agenda items.

During the September meeting of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board, directors approved numerous recommendations including the proposed 2018 budget, the sale of The University of Texas Baptist Student Ministry property and a loan for the Baptist University of the Americas.

The cost of school supplies can add up quickly, and the list is exhaustive. Churches like Friendship Baptist Church of The Colony have aimed to help solve this problem by sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ through both word and deed.